Does anyone have a work-around they use to sort names after you export a list from Mail?

The fact that there's no sort key available as field option in Quick Letters is getting to be an enormous problem for us. We need the mail function to line everything up the way it does, but my development office needs to be able to check their lists and the easiest way to do that is by sorting things alphabetically.

If anyone has had luck with a quick work-around, that would be great.

Sandi Reinardy

There is a sort key on Quick Letters. Its on the format tab. Did I misunderstand you? Vicki P. Mayhew Office of Alumni & Development Montgomery Bell Academy Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 369-5369 [Email Removed]

I want to be able to Export a Sort Key - the one creates a field that's configured: LastName, FirstName - it allows you to sort your list in a way that Addressee doesn't because the addressee field starts with first names or a title. I think the Sort Key you're referring to will sort the list, but there's no way to re-sort if you move anything after it's in Excel.

I think she means an exported sort key, so that you can sort and resort after the file has been exported. Denise Stengl All Saints Healthcare Foundation Racine, WI 262.687.2208 [Email Removed]

We have had that same problem when using quick letters. We ususally end up using an Export, so we can iclude first and last name fields for sorting. Julianne

Whenever I am doing lists with names on, I export both the "Preferred Addressee" field and the "Last Name" field. The addressee gives me the name the way I want it to appear in the correspondance, and the "Last Name" allows me to sort in alpha order. Tina Wilfer Development Assistant Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Appleton, WI [Email Removed]

I'm not sure why you'd want to edit the list once it's out of RE - any changes that you'd make in Excel, you should try to do in RE and export it again, so it comes out of RE correct. I know that sounds like a lot of work, but once you do some clean up, having an exactly right list from RE is wonderful. As a workaround, I suggest exporting the quick letters to excel, then creating a new column called sort, and then type in a number [0001] and use the fill-in feature in excel to fill-in the rest of the column. Then when you edit, delete rows, move things around, re-sort, etc., you can always sort by your new column (Sort) again, and get it back into the original sort order from RE. You can use Export, but quick letters is so much easier. Joe Meehan Director of Database Administration Saint John's Health Center Foundation Santa Monica, Ca 90404 (310) 829-8895

My understanding of her situation is that she wants to sort the list in a different order, not make changes. For example, the list may be exported in zip code order for the mailing but she would like to quickly resort it alphabetically because that is how her boss needs to review the list. With out the alpha sort key being an export field, she cannot do this. Denise Stengl All Saints Healthcare Foundation Racine, WI 262.687.2208 [Email Removed]

You're both right on target. I actually just thought of the numbering thing a little while ago. And my new policy is that if they do see changes that need making, they either give me a list with the changes or make the changes themselves. The main reason they like to sort is just to spot check/double check for people they do and do not want to include in any particular mailing. They often take "strategic" to a new level. We'll get there, but I'd still kiss the ground on Daniel Island if they'd add Sort Key to the Mail fields. :)